Fatigue and exhaustion are so common in early motherhood that it’s often brushed off as being a normal part of being a mum.
But this is far from the truth.
I will never stop advocating for mothers to get a proper postpartum assessment and never accept exhaustion as ‘ just a normal part of motherhood’ because all too often there are very real underlying causes driving this exhaustion (among other common symptoms like brain fog, mood, changes, cravings, and more).
One of the most important things I’m on the lookout for is postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) – an imbalance of the thyroid gland seen after birth., which depending on the research you look at, affects between 10-20% of women postpartum. This is as prevalent as postpartum depression, and yet I rarely see it screened properly in clinic.
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of PPT, and it can present in the same way as postpartum depletion and postpartum depression, so proper testing is crucial because the treatment and support strategies will differ.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is for your personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. It should not be considered as medical or professional advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking or omitting to take any action based on this blog. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises and assumes no liability regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this blog are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this blog is done at your own risk.
Is it postnatal depletion or postpartum thyroiditis?
In addition to fatigue and exhaustion often being dismissed as ‘just a normal part of motherhood’, these and other common symptoms can also sometimes be quickly categorised as postpartum depletion. But it’s a mistake to do either of these prematurely because you might be missing significant underlying imbalances responsible for your fatigue, exhaustion, or other symptoms, such as thyroid hormone abnormalities.
Missed and untreated imbalances, deficiencies, and conditions can have long term consequences for your wellbeing, but importantly in the short term if you don’t know what’s truly causing your problems, you can’t tailor treatment and support strategies accordingly for maximum effectiveness.
The confusion between postpartum depletion and postpartum thyroiditis arises because there is a lot of cross-over between the symptoms of the two.
Common symptoms in postnatal depletion and postpartum thyroiditis:
- Fatigue & exhaustion
- Brain fog
- Sleep disturbances
- Trouble focusing, poor memory
- Mood shifts like anxiety or low mood
Typically, although not always, in thyroid conditions we might see other signs and symptoms like:
- Intolerance to cold or heat
- Hair loss or brittle hair, and/or dry skin
- Altered digestive function or bowel motions
- Changes to menstruation (which may be difficult to identify if your cycle has not returned postpartum)
- Changed basal body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate
But this tricky thing is, often the only obvious presentation in postpartum thyroiditis is fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes.
This is why it’s so important for all mothers to complete a full thyroid assessment, including clinical assessment, tracking basal body temperature, and getting a full thyroid panel blood test (TSH alone will not cut it).
Related blog: Do you have postnatal depletion?
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Test don’t guess – the importance of a full thyroid panel
“I’ve had my thyroid checked and my doctor said it’s fine” – I hear this comment almost weekly in my clinic.
And yet, most of the time only one thyroid marker has been checked – thyroid stimulating hormone (aka TSH). Due to the Medicare regulations here in Australia, it is standard practice for GPs to only order TSH and not a full thyroid panel.
But TSH is only one part of a large orchestra of players involved in thyroid function.
It’s simple: with TSH alone you do not have enough information to make a call like ‘your thyroid is fine,’ especially if you have multiple symptoms from the lists above.
You’re also missing the thyroid hormones, free T4 and free T3, as well as reverse T3 (rT3 – an inactive, storage form of T3), and any potential antibodies (which are common in postpartum thyroid conditions, and crucial to be aware of).
Medicare will only cover a full thyroid panel if TSH is out of the standard, conventional reference range, meaning many cases of subclinical thyroid imbalances are missed. Not to mention that thyroid antibodies can start to rise years before TSH, T4, or T3 shift out of range.
Related blog: 5 blood tests every tired mum needs
How to access a proper thyroid assessment
Although getting a proper thyroid assessment through the medical system in Australia is challenging, you have options.
Firstly, you can work with someone who will test your thyroid, whether that means finding a new doctor who understands the importance of the full panel (they are out there!) or work with a naturopath who can order the tests for you privately.
Secondly, you can use an online Medicare-funded telehealth and test referral service like Instant Script to access the tests you need.
Thirdly, you can go directly to private testing companies like i-Screen or iMedical, and order and pay for the test you need, then have the blood test completed at a local collection centre.
The quickest way to assess thyroid health is with a full blood test. But if a blood test is out of your budget, there are other ways to assess this, however, it takes longer and requires guidance (tracking basal body temperature every morning over a few weeks).
Or, you can join my online membership Mother Nourish, a community space with a full library of resources dedicated to supporting tired, sleep-deprived mothers to reclaim their energy and enjoy motherhood! Inside the online learning hub, there are multiple resources dedicated to helping you access and understand the tests you need, as well as to support your thyroid health – all alongside a community where you have my ongoing support to interpret test results and answer any questions. You can join Mother Nourish here!
Do you fit the picture for thyroid imbalance? Or has your doctor told you everything is ‘fine’ after only testing TSH? If so, it might be time to get things checked properly to know once and for all.
Georgie xx
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is for your personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. It should not be considered as medical or professional advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking or omitting to take any action based on this blog. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises and assumes no liability regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this blog are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this blog is done at your own risk.
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